Local Airbnb hosts deal with coronavirus pandemic travel freeze

Two Cape Girardeau Airbnb hosts are coping with the coronavirus-fueled freeze in travel bookings in different ways.

Realtors Elizabeth and Bobby Gray say their property at 639 Perry Ave., near Southeast Hospital, was enjoying solid business since opening as an Airbnb in August.

"We were profitable, fully booked for March and with only one weekend unreserved in April," said Elizabeth, 47, noting the property was also reserved for selected weekends in May through July.

"Every single booking has canceled," she said.

Andrew Bard, owner of EcoRide PH Scooters, a firm specializing in on-the-road electric scooters, has operated 230 Bellevue St. as an Airbnb since 2016.

"I was grossing $1,800 per month," said Bard, 42, referring to income generated from guests at his 150-year-old home.

"Since the 22nd of March, that income largely stopped," he said.

There are more than 3 million Airbnb hosts worldwide who saw $1.5 billion in bookings vanish beginning in mid-March, according to market research firm AirDNA LLC.

"No one anticipated a global pandemic would require the country to shelter in place and upend the economy," said Airbnb spokesman Nick Papas, in a statement to the Wall Street Journal.

"(The pandemic) is temporary and travel will bounce back," Papas said.

Elizabeth Gray isn't banking on such a prediction.

"I don't think travel will be like it was (pre-pandemic) for the foreseeable future," she said.

In the meantime, the Grays have converted their Perry Avenue house into a short-term lease.

"My anticipation (is) it will be late 2020 or early 2021 before we're able to reopen as an Airbnb," Elizabeth Gray added.

Bard, who canceled all bookings for his Bellevue Street Airbnb due to coronavirus fears after returning to Cape Girardeau from an extended visit to the Philippines, is taking a wait-and-see approach for his downtown property.

"If things start to look OK at the end of May, we may reopen in the middle of June," Bard said.

Elizabeth Gray said the success of their Airbnb is largely tied to activity at nearby Southeast Missouri State University.

"I'd say 50% of our business comes from moms and dads coming to stay for events such as Parents Weekend, Homecoming and commencement," she said. "Of course, all of that (business) went away this spring."

Southeast's main and satellite campuses are scheduled to reopen Monday after being closed in mid-March due to COVID-19.

Bard said a significant portion of his bookings come from travelers headed south.

"I estimate 30% of my bookings are from people headed from Chicago to New Orleans," he said. "Cape Girardeau is about halfway in-between."

Bard has had 500 Airbnb guests in four years, he said, and 98% of his experiences have been positive.

"I get to meet people from all over the world," said Bard, taking special note of visitors from the Netherlands who made a traditional Dutch breakfast on a particularly memorable Sunday morning.

"They shared stories and it was wonderful," he said.

Neither the Grays nor Bard pay mortgages on their respective Airbnb properties because they own them outright.

"That's been our saving grace (during this downturn)," Elizabeth Gray said, "because we have no debt service on the house."

Due to the pandemic, San Francisco-based Airbnb updated its cancellation policy to allow guests to cancel reservations for a full refund.